PEN PALS
by jojoStarr
Summary: For an assignment Bella gets a pen pal from Africa by the name of Edward Cullen. They get along on paper but when the class takes a trip to Africa to visit them, their reluctance to accept each other puts their lives in danger. Will it bring them closer?
1. Chapter 1 Preface

**So, here's the prologue of the new story! Big thank you to my beta Princeps de Invidia for helping me out. :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Series or any of its characters.**

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Prologue

_I'm going to die. _

That was the first thought that came into my mind as I scanned the huge expanse of trees surrounding me on all sides. Holy shit. I was lost, in a forest, in a whole other continent and I wasn't even the only one to blame.

We had flown halfway around the world to have a good time, but then I'd met Edward Cullen.

Stupid Edward Cullen.

He was the reason I was now jittery and shaking with fear at the slightest noise made around me. I was so used to having someone there to always protect me. Whether it was my older brother Emmett, my best friend Jasper, or even his conceited sister Rose; there was always someone there for me. But Emmett and Rose were thousands of miles away in the U.S. right now; and Jasper was probably having a great time back at the house with Alice Cullen.

I was all alone, it was beginning to get dark out, and I had no idea how to get back to the house. Why did I have to be stubborn and wander out here even though I'd been warned?

I became increasingly frightened as I remembered the brochure I'd read which explained all the wildlife lurking in this forest. Antelope I could deal with; but snakes or tigers?

I was definitely going to kill Edward if I ever made it out of here alive. But that was becoming more and more unlikely as the few remaining rays of sunlight slowly began to disappear; and I realized that no matter which direction or how far I walked, everything around me looked the same. Just trees, trees, and more trees.

How did I, Bella Swan, end up in this forest? How did I meet Edward Cullen? How the hell did I even end up in Africa?

Well it all started out with a class assignment…

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**So, what do you think? Good? Bad? Should I continue?**

**Review**

**jojoStarr**


	2. Chapter 2 The Class Assignment

**Thank you for all of your kind reviews! I loved reading them. Here's chapter 2.**

**Thanks to my beta Princeps de Invidia who helped me with this chapter. & Churchill Vampiress and AliceMakesMeLaugh who helped me out with some of the information mentioned in the previous chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Series or any of it's characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

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The Class Assignment

_**Bella Swan.**_

I continued to stare at the red numbers on the digital clock like I had been doing for the past 6 hours and 59 minutes. Just one more minute. I watched the numbers fade out and light up again to reveal the new time. 7:00 AM. Finally! I quickly shot up from the bed and stood up, slowly stretching out my body. It was then that I realized my actions. I hadn't gotten any sleep all night; and for a very stupid reason at that. I was excited for my first day of school as a junior.

I'd been visiting my mom in Florida all summer and although I'd never thought I'd say it, I'd actually missed Forks. She'd hardly been home the whole time we'd been down there, leaving me and Emmett with not much to do except sit around and watch T.V. We didn't know anyone down there and we didn't know our way around the city so there was nowhere else we could be. Ever since we'd gotten back last night, I'd brightened up at the prospect of seeing my friends again and actually doing something. I had been a little overexcited and now, due to my lack of sleep, I was going to be the grumpiest person in school.

I groaned as I walked into my bathroom. No one had even woken up yet. I had plenty of time, so I spent most of it underneath the shower; but I hurried out as soon as my skin began to look wrinkly.

As I walked back into my room I glanced out the window and was surprised to see a little sunshine leaking through the early morning clouds. Hoping to enjoy the day, I pulled on a pair of brown bermuda shorts and a white polo. Forks, Washington rarely had any sunny days so I was definitely going to enjoy this one. I pulled my brown hair back into a ponytail, grabbed my bag, and began to make my way downstairs. I took the stairs slowly, one at a time, because I didn't feel like getting any new bruises today.

I was surprised to hear a low voice speaking, so I silently followed it to the kitchen. My older brother, Emmett, was sitting at the counter and speaking quietly into the phone. When did he get up?

As soon as he saw me, he flashed a sheepish grin and hung up the phone.

"It's about time you got down here," he said as he got up from the stool.

_What? I was up before you were! _But as I took a look at the clock on the wall, I realized I'd spent a little too much time in the shower.

"Wow! We have to go or we'll be late!" I quickly turned on my heel to run out of the kitchen, but I stumbled over my feet and slowly began descending towards the floor. But I didn't panic. He would catch me; he always did. Just as expected, I felt Emmett's arms wrap around my waist and pull me up to a standing position.

"Who's going to be catching you when I graduate at the end of the year, squirt?"

He was right. Charlie, my dad, was always at the police station, and Renee lived all the way in Florida. When he left, I would be all alone; and the prospect of that saddened me.

"I don't know brother _bear_; but you need to stop calling me squirt. It sounds like something you'd call someone who's really short and I am now 5'2" thank you very much," I said, walking past him and grabbing an apple from the basket on the hallway table.

"Right, I forgot. Five feet two inches is the new six foot one," he said, his voice thick with sarcasm. "But you can call me brother bear any old day. Because bears are manly and strong; and I am manly and strong," he said excitedly. It sounded like he was having an epiphany.

I stared at him strangely for a second before rolling my eyes and putting on my flip flops. I then waited for him to open the doors to his enormous jeep, which was just as enormous as his muscular self. He lifted me up to the passenger seat and made his way to his side.

"We picking up Rose and Jasper?" I asked, taking a bite out of my apple.

"Nope! I'm taking her out after school, so Jasper will have to drop you off."

"Really? You were talking to her on the phone, weren't you?" I asked as he drove us to Forks High School. He quickly nodded. I was glad he was finally able to see her. She'd been all he could talk about during summer vacation.

Rose was Emmett's girlfriend and was a senior just like him. But Jasper was her little brother, a junior like me, and in a way, like my second brother.

"And where are you guys going?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

He glanced down at me and gave a sly smile. "That's for me to know and you to already know," he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

I choked on the bite of apple I'd just been about to swallow and glared at him.

"Eww, Emmett, it's the first day of school!" I told him, slightly in shock.

"Exactly. I didn't get to see her all summer because we were visiting mom," he said, throwing me a wink.

_Gross... _It was no secret what Rose and Emmett did in their spare time but hearing it from him definitely wasn't pleasant. I kept my eyes staring straight forward to avoid any more awkward conversations.

We soon pulled into the student parking lot of the school and I opened the door to jump out, forgetting how high up I was.

"Bella!" Emmett yelled, grabbing my arm to keep me from jumping. "Are you trying to kill yourself?!"

I rolled my eyes and waited for him to come around to my side; he just loved making fun of my klutziness.

I stuck my arms out for him and he set me on the pavement before we made our way over to the red BMW that had just now pulled in. As we watched Rose and her brother step out of the car, I realized that we weren't the only ones watching. It seemed like everyone in the parking lot froze. It was like in that song 'Stop and Stare' by One Republic. But it was understandable why they would do that; they were both so beautiful. Rose was a drop dead gorgeous blonde and she knew it and flaunted it. Jasper was just as beautiful but he was more reserved; associating only with close friends and family members.

I looked up to find Emmett with a goofy grin on his face and his hands attempting to fix the mop of brown curls on his head as he watched his girlfriend walk towards him. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was in love. In fact, I would ask him about that later.

I smiled up at Jasper as he grabbed my arm and began to lead me into the school so we could leave our two siblings alone.

"What's your first class?" I asked him, pulling my schedule out of my back pocket so I could see what mine was.

"AP English Composition. You?" he asked.

"Same," I said.

We walked in to find a few students already in the classroom, but with no teacher. Spotting three empty seats in the back, we made our way towards them and sat next to each other.

"Let me see the rest of your schedule," I told him. He gave it to me and I realized, much to my dismay, that this would be the only class I would have with my best friend except for lunch.

Just as I was handing his paper back, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the school day. I turned expectantly in my seat to face the door and in walked a short, stocky man, whom I could only assume was the teacher.

Just as the teacher picked up a marker, the door flew open again but this time to reveal a blonde guy and a brunette who looked slightly ruffled.

As the brunette attempted to pat down her hair and straighten her clothes, Jasper rolled his eyes at me. We all knew what Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley had been up to.

The teacher simply ignored them and turned to face the board.

"Hello, class, I am Mr. Jones," he said, writing the name on the board. "And I will be your AP English teacher for the year," he finished.

He handed out our syllabus and had us tell everyone something about ourselves, which earned quite a few groans. I mean what were we in, kindergarten?

After that he told us that we would be having an assignment.

I heard Jasper sigh dramatically beside me and I agreed with him. What kind of teacher gives homework on the first day?

"This assignment will not be due tomorrow, or next week, or even next month! It'll be due at the end of the year but if you're wise, you'll get started on it right away."

I threw Jasper a confused look. A year-long assignment? It must be hard! And knowing me, I would probably put it off until the very last minute.

"You'll be receiving pen pals from Africa!" he exclaimed.

There were murmurs of appreciation floating throughout the class. I, for one, was excited.

"You will trade letters back and forth, learning about the different cultures, ways, and such. At the end of the year, you'll combine all the information you have and write a VERY long paper, which will be going into your portfolio."

"Sounds easy enough," I told Jasper as the teacher walked around, handing out slips of paper.

"But you will probably get your best information when we all take a trip to the country Cameroon in West Africa!" the teacher added excitedly. "This is the first time the school is actually letting us go all the way over there, and I myself, can't wait! And they in turn will spend a month over here afterwards, too."

I could feel my jaw drop, and I'm guessing I wasn't the only one. People were now talking in hushed voices among one another.

"When will we be going?" a blonde, I recognized as Lauren Mallory, asked.

"We will be gone the whole of next month and they will come back to spend October here. Considering how long it will probably be for the letter to reach them, this may be the only one they will receive and be able to reply to. So make it good," Mr. Jones answered.

"That is so cool," I whispered to Jasper, but I was also having doubts about whether or not my dad would actually let me go.

The teacher stopped in front of us and handed us our slips of paper.

"You guys' might be a little different because your pen pals are Americans. Now the reason they're over there is that the father is a doctor and is always on the move," he explained, while Jasper and I nodded our heads in understanding.

"These are your permission slips for the trip, and these are brochures which will help you understand the environment there better," he handed us a form and brochure before walking away.

I looked at my paper and smiled. My new pen pal was 'MusicallyInclined.' I glanced at Jasper's paper, 'Cupid'sRival,' and snickered.

"I'll give you time in class today to begin working," the teacher said from the front of the class.

"You want to switch?" Jasper pleaded.

"Eh? No. I'm guessing you got some girl who considers herself a matchmaker. But I have got a music lover, something that I appreciate, too."

He narrowed his eyes at me and opened his notebook

"You think your parents will let you go on the trip later?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know. But I want to go and it'll probably take a lot of convincing."

That would probably be how things would be for me. I pulled out a blank piece of paper and began to write. This might be the only free time I would get to anyways.

_**Hey MusicallyInclined! My name is Isabella Marie Swan and I am a**_

I stopped writing as a hand was placed over my paper. As I looked up, I realized it was Mr. Jones.

"What?" I asked, confused at his action.

"You can't reveal your identity. You must make up a penname like they have," he instructed before crumpling the paper up in his hands and throwing it way.

Frowning, I took out a new sheet of paper and started all over.

_**Hey MusicallyInclined!**_

_**I'm KlutZillA, female, and I live in the US. But you probably already know that.**_

_**A bit about myself: I'm 17, short, and I spend countless hours in the emergency room. My parents are divorced but I have the best oldest brother and friends I could possibly ask for. I love to read and listen to music! When we take trips to the city, I'm always buying myself a new book or new CD. What about you? What are some cool things you like to do?**_

_**Your pen pal,**_

_**KlutZillA**_

I stopped and admired my work, smiling slightly to myself before turning to look at Jasper's.

"Can I read it?" I asked. He nodded and we switched letters.

_**Hello Cupid'sRival,**_

_**My pen name is PlaysWithEmotions. I am a male and 17 years old.**_

_**I have an older sister who is very full of herself but I also have a very loving best friend who I complain about her to.**_

_**I find high school to be overly dramatic and the constant change of people's emotions can sometimes be a bother. One second you're in love with someone, the next you're mad at them, and later you're sad?**_

_**Some hobbies of mine would be to play the guitar and just hang out with my best friends. What are some things about you? How do you spend your free time?**_

_**With love,**_

_**PlaysWithEmotions**_

"With love?" I said, shoving his paper in his face. He shrugged his shoulders and took it from my hand.

"KlutZillA?" was his brilliant retort.

I rolled my eyes and put my letter into the envelope the teacher had recently handed out before taking it up and setting it in the tray at the front desk so it could be mailed today.

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**Is it bad that I want to skip all this introductory stuff and get straight to the action? lol :D**

**Review and tell me what you thought.**

**JOJO**


	3. Chapter 3 A Pen Pal?

**Hey! Thank you for all your wonderful reviews for the last chapter. I'm sorry for the long wait, but my updates should be more normal from now on.**

**Somehow, fanfiction mail was blocked from my e-mail and sent directly to spam, so although I've seen some of them now, others had been automatically deleted a while ago. So, if you PM'ed me with something important and I didn't reply, it's because I didn't get it. Feel free to send it again.**

**_Note: This should be the last major introductory chapter, so it's important! I wouldn't skim over it if I were you, because a lot of hints that will be used later on are dropped._**

**Also, thanks to my beta Princeps de Invidia for checking this out and correcting my mistakes. She's a fantastic writer...read "Ribbons and Lace" if you get the chance.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Series or any of it's characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

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A Pen Pal?

_Edward Cullen_

As I drove along the bumpy dirt road, I snuck a sideways glance at my sister, Alice, in the passenger side and was surprised to see her bouncing in her seat. She'd been acting like that all day, but I'd blamed it on the large mug of coffee she'd had before we left for school. Now, as we headed home after a long day, her excitement seemed to have doubled…and that definitely wasn't normal.

I glanced up into the mirror to check on the other passenger who was seated in the backseat of the car. Maybe he knew something about this.

Kenneth, or as he preferred to be called, Ken, was probably the only person I considered a friend around here. Not that I'd tried to be friends with anyone. I knew better than to do that because the turnout was always the same: I befriend someone, we get closer, and before you know it, we're moving to a whole other continent.

But he'd been persistent. Being nice to me when I didn't deserve it and finally, I'd dropped some barriers for him.

He caught my eye in the mirror and amusement was dancing across his eyes. Perhaps he didn't know what was wrong with her either.

I sighed and returned my attention to the windshield, watching the clouds of dust puff into the air as we sped by and the trees whiz through my line of vision.

The amount of trees soon increased and I knew we were almost home. It wasn't long before I took a quick right and drove up the almost hidden road leading to our house. As I drove up the little hill, the trees soon began to decrease once more and I pulled up in front of the Victorian style home, quickly shutting off the engine of my Volvo. All it'd taken was the turn of the key before Alice shot out the car and sprinted towards the front door.

_There was definitely something up with her. I knew she was usually perky, but this was a bit much._

I threw a questioning glance at Ken as he got out of the car but he simply shrugged his shoulders and followed me through the door. As soon as we stepped through, we were bombarded by Alice.

"Edward!" she screamed, skidding to a stop in front of me. I saw Ken visibly flinch at the sound of her voice and smirked as I realized he still wasn't used to her, even if we'd been living here for at least 6 months.

"She's going to make me go deaf one of these days…" he muttered quietly, as he took off his shoes and set his bag by the door.

Alice had been pulling me into the living room but as soon as the words left his mouth, she stopped to scowl at him.

"I heard that!" she said, frowning, but he simply threw her an innocent smile and let himself into the room.

"What do you want, Alice?" I asked she pushed me down onto one of the sofas.

"We got our letters!" she squealed. This is what she'd been excited about?

"Letters? What letters?" I asked, confused, as Ken walked over to stand beside her.

"You know, the pen pal assignment we got from Mr. Damien's class?" she asked, holding two envelopes in front of my face.

I searched my brain to recall such an assignment and frowned. "No."

"Well, I think this one is yours because it's addressed to a Mr. MusicallyInclined," she handed me an envelope as Ken burst out laughing over my shoulder.

"Mr. MusicallyInclined? Show-off."

I took a second to shoot him a glare. "I wasn't showing off. I was merely implying that I have talents in the music area," I stated as he gave me an incredulous look.

"And what was your pen name? Since you find mine so hilarious," I added.

"'GuitarHeroGuru,'" he said somewhat proudly. I simply rolled my eyes at the name of his latest obsession. Just a couple of weeks ago it'd been Dance Dance Revolution…the only game he could beat me at. But he'd literally been spending hours practicing guitar hero so he could show me who's "boss" the next time we played.

"I don't know about you, but isn't calling yourself a guru showing-off as well?" I asked with a smirk.

"It's not the same thing," he said, quickly dismissing the comment. "Now, what's yourpen name?" he asked, turning his attention to Alice.

She tried to cover up the name section of the envelope, but I saw it, and frowned. The name was 100 true. I couldn't count how many times Alice had tried to hook me up with someone…and how many times it'd ended up disastrous.

"Are you ready?" Alice asked.

"Ready for what?" I asked wearily.

"We'll open our letters at the same time, silly!" she said, as if stating the obvious.

I rolled my eyes as she counted down from three and ripped her envelope open with me doing the same.

The first thing on the piece of paper that caught my eye was the pen name. And I think Ken saw it the same time I did because I heard his snickers overhead.

"KlutZillA?! Man, you guys were made for each other, with your odd pen names and all," he said.

I ignored him and continued to read the letter. This was really interesting. We had so much in common it wasn't even funny. A slow smile went across my face as I read the reasoning behind her pen name. She's clumsy.

I heard a sigh from in front of me and looked over to see Alice with a dreamy look on her face.

"I can't wait to meet him," she said, ecstatically.

"Meet him?" I asked, once again confused.

"Were you paying any attention when Mr. D. gave us this assignment?" Ken asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Obviously not," I muttered.

"Well my brother, pay close attention. Our pen pals are going to be here in a couple of weeks. They'll be living with us, in our houses, to enjoy the experience. You have to reply to that letter today if you want her to get it before they leave for here," he finished.

"By the way, you guys are lucky. I got some person who calls herself BrunetteBombshell. And all she did was write about some guy named BlondeHairedStud. Of course I plan on changing _that._ I can guarantee you, by the end of this month; _I _will be all she'll be talking about."

"You want to bet on that?" I faintly heard Alice ask.

I'd stopped paying attention to what he'd been saying after he'd mentioned our pen pals would be here in a couple of weeks. But when he'd said a month, my mind immediately snapped back to attention.

"A month?!" I asked. They both looked at me, seeming confused at my outburst. I was a little confused as well at it and I tried again.

"They're staying here for a month?" I questioned, quietly.

Alice quickly nodded her head. "Yes. Your pen pal will hang with you and mine with me."

I paused to process that for a minute. What had I been so caught up in that I'd missed all this information?

"Kids! Dinner!" Esme's voice floated from the kitchen.

I snapped out of my reverie and looked up at my friend.

"You staying?" I asked as I stood up and walked towards the door.

"Nah. I've got to go reply to the letter so my mom can mail it tomorrow."

I was a little surprised at his answer. He always stayed for dinner, eating up almost everything Esme prepared.

"All right," I nodded at him as he walked out the front door and I followed Alice to the dining room.

--_x_--

Throughout dinner I was a little distracted as I thought about this girl who would be coming to live with us. She'd seemed pretty open and I began to wonder what she looked like. I was barely aware of what was going on around me as I conjured up images of my pen pal, but I knew that Alice was filling Esme in on our assignment.

"Edward."

At the sound of my name, I returned my attention to the table.

"What?"

"You'll be sharing your room with your new friend," Esme said.

My eyes widened at her statement.

"Why? What about the spare room?"

"You very well know that it's filled with junk right now. There's no way we'd get it cleaned up in time for her, considering how busy we all are."

"What about Alice? Does she have to share a room with her guy? Why doesn't my pen pal sleep in her room and hers in mine? That way…"

I stopped short as Alice shot a glare my way. What was wrong with her? But mostly, what was wrong with me? It's like I was afraid of having this person coming here, but I knew that wasn't true. I didn't have a problem with it. In fact, if anything, I was a little excited.

"Actually I think it's best we share rooms with the people we were assigned to because it will enable us to get to know them better," Alice said, still looking at me.

"You have a point there," Esme said, thoughtfully. "I'll talk it over with Carlisle when he gets home."

_Carlisle._ What would he think about this?

"But I'm sure he'll agree," Esme continued. "Edward, you'll take the sofa in your room and we'll buy an air mattress for now for your friend, Alice. I don't think we'll be able to get anything out of the spare room."

Alice quickly nodded while I remained thoughtful. All this information that had just been handed down to me had me confused.

"Edward, you'll need to be polite." The warning tone in Esme's voice immediately made me realize what she was talking about. Sure I hadn't been very sociable this past year after a certain incident, but it was for the best.

"I'm going for a jog," I said, abruptly standing up and pushing my chair in.

Esme looked at me meaningfully for a minute before replying. "Okay. But no wandering farther than you need to."

I nodded, glad at her sudden agreement. She knew I needed to think and running always helped to clear my mind.

I jogged up to my room and quickly pulled on a pair of sweats, a t-shirt and tennis shoes before heading out. When I walked out the front door, I stopped to look around.

We practically lived in the middle of nowhere. The closest house was Ken's and he lived at least a mile away. But that didn't stop him from running over and getting comfortable at our house. The school was at least a half hour drive down the dirt road from here. But with the way Alice and I drove, it was at least ten minutes less.

Even with the feeling of isolation surrounding us in every corner, the place was still beautiful. The grass surrounding the house was lush and green, but it was the expanse of trees located about a mile from here I was headed for.

As I stepped down from the porch and began to jog along the grass, my mind drifted back to the letter I'd received today.

It'd been short, sweet, and to the point. But it'd been enough to make me count down the days until she arrived. This anticipation I felt for meeting someone was a bit familiar and that frightened me. I could feel a conflict of emotions whirl within me. Excitement at meeting someone new, but fear at allowing myself to become too close, only to have them leave.

But I wasn't going to dwell too much on that. I was thinking too far ahead. I hadn't even met this person yet, but there was still the possibility that they would be here just to get their work done and not to socialize.

I brought myself out of my thoughts as I realized how dark it was getting. The trees around me were still dense, but as I looked farther ahead, I could see them gradually becoming thicker. So thick, you'd really have to know your way around to make it out.

These days, I never ventured out farther than my current location, but I'd promised myself that one day, before we had a chance to move again, I would explore this forest. It would take time and planning, but maybe I would be able to venture deeper and not care about being lost or hurt. Just like maybe I would be able to put myself out there again someday. But as for now, I wasn't ready to take any chances, just like I wasn't ready to go into the woods just yet.

I think this may have been the reason for my reaction to having someone live with us. Just the thought of meeting new people was enough to make me sour at times because I'd definitely learned my lesson about getting attached. But Ken had changed that a bit, so hopefully things would be different. And my normally indifferent reaction to meeting someone new would be hidden when I met my new "pen pal."

I slowly turned around and began the walk back to the house. I had not taken more than a few steps forward before I heard the ominous hoot of the night owl, which caused me to freeze.

I remembered what Ken had told me. In these parts of the country, the hoot of an owl was a bad omen. I wasn't a very superstitious person, but some of the stories he'd told me were enough to make me cautious.

Now, as I headed back to the house to reply to that letter, I wondered what event was going to occur which I had just been forewarned about.

--_x--_

_**Preview of Ch. 3: **"This way." He said, turning stiffly on his heels and walking out the door, leaving me frozen in place, staring after him. Did I just imagine the mood swing?_

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**Short...I know, but I'm making up for it with the next chapter. I've been working on it and it's already passed 10pages. I should be finished with it soon and you'll have it in a couple of days.**

**So...the next chapter, Bella and Edward _will _meet, as you can tell from the quote there. And then finally, the story can be set in motion.**

**Please review and tell me what you thought. :D**

**jojoStarr**


	4. Chapter 4 Welcome

**I'm alerting you ahead of time for any mistakes in this chapter. It hasn't been looked over by my beta and will be replaced once it has.**

**And sorry for not updating sooner. I'd completely forgotten that I had an AP US History exam on Friday, so I had to spend the whole week studying. Yeah…the only time I was on the computer the whole week was to take a practice test…but it's over now and wasn't as difficult as I thought it'd be.**

**I don't own the Twilight Series or any of its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Thank you for your wonderful reviews. Here's the next chapter...**

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Welcome

_Bella Swan_

I stood outside the door of my bedroom and watched Emmett as he picked up both of my suitcases, before silently passing by me and making his way downstairs, causing me to sigh in frustration. Ever since I'd told him I'd be going on this trip, he'd been acting this way. First he'd been silent, hoping to make me feel guilty, then he'd tried persuasion techniques involving speaking, and now it was back to being silent. I'd known my mom wouldn't have a problem with it, but I'd thought Charlie would be the hardest to convince. Boy was I wrong.

He'd been reluctant, but Renee had called and managed to persuade him. When I'd said goodbye to him a couple of hours ago before he went to work, he'd even seemed a little optimistic. Giving me his digital camera and making me promise to take some good videos and pictures. But now, Emmett was the only one giving me a hard time. And I had less than a couple of hours left with him. I wondered if he'd use this time to kick his over protective gear into higher mode, or if he'd just quit and try to enjoy the little time we had left with each other.

I frowned and went down the stairs after him, watching as he set the suitcases into the back of the jeep. As he was closing the door, I saw a car coming down the street, slowing down at each house. With a huge smile on my face, I ran out and placed myself by the mailbox just as it pulled to a stop in front of our house.

"Hey Laurent!" I said, to the young and familiar mail man. He flashed me a smile, his eyes slowly roaming up and down my body, as he handed the mail.

"Bella. I think that mail you've been waiting for arrived today," he said, with a wink. I'd been uncomfortable as he looked me up and down, but when he began speaking, I couldn't help but smile at his French accent.

Wait…how'd he know I was waiting for something? I blushed, embarrassed that I'd been that obvious. Sure I'd waited for the mail ever since I'd written my letter, and a disappointed look usually covered my features, but I didn't think anyone had noticed.

"Thank you!" I squeaked, quickly turning on my heel and to our house.

"What have you got there?" Emmett asked, as I stepped into the kitchen. My eyes widened at the sound of his voice…he's talking to me now?

"Bills, bills…" I paused as I spotted an envelope with a postage stamp from Cameroon. "…and my letter!"

I dropped everything on the counter and quickly ripped the envelope open to reveal a folded piece of paper. Pulling it out, I was surprised at its fine quality; I'd only used a piece of notebook paper. I was even more surprised by the elegant writing that greeted me as I opened it.

_Hello KlutZillA,_

_It was wonderful to receive a letter from you. Some things about myself:_

_I am male and seventeen years old, like yourself. My family consists of two adoptive parents, E and C, and one twin sister. C is a doctor, big shoes I hope to fill, while E assists him. _

_My family tends to travel a lot, because C is a very well know doctor and is always getting requests to go somewhere new. Although I was born in the U.S., I don't recall very much about it. We were adopted when still young, so I can't remember any of the people who may be related to us etc… And though we travel a lot we don't know many very people. The reason being, connections are lost when you live thousands of miles away…But there are plus sides to traveling, such as learning new languages or just seeing the many different places. _

_To answer your questions, in my spare time I play the piano, read a book, go for a run, or help my father out with his work. _

_I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but we'll be living together and I am looking forward to that. I hope you get this letter in time. If you do:_

_Have a safe flight,_

_MusicallyInclined_

I stared at the letter for a while, a smile pasted on my face. It was so polite and well written, I was already feeling embarrassed for the crappy one I'd sent him. But at the end of the letter, what's that he'd said? We'd be living together? I didn't know that…I would have to confirm that with Mr. Jones. It was probably written on the permission slip I'd neglected to read.

"I don't like this," I looked up to see Emmett reading over my shoulder. "He's a guy and you'll living in the same house, with none of us to supervise."

His face seemed to twist up in anger and he began to drag me towards the living room.

"Emmett, what are you doing?" I asked, as I struggled to fold the letter and place it in my back pocket.

"I was going to wait until your birthday next year, but duty calls. It's time we have a talk," he said, pushing me down on a sofa.

I scrunched my brows up in confusion. "A talk?"

He crouched at my feet so we were at eye level, placed his hands on my knees, and looked up at me seriously.

"Isabella," he began, while I frowned. He only called me that when he was serious. "Have you heard the story of the birds and the bees?" he asked. It took a moment for my brain to process the question, but when it did, I shot up in my seat and quickly took a couple of steps away. I knew my face was already turning its famous color as the prospect of my brother giving me this 'talk' flew across my mind.

"Emmett… it's time to go pick up Jasper or we'll be late," I said, quickly turning around and heading for his car.

"We'll have to talk about this sooner or later you know," he said, coming up behind me.

"Later is fine with me," I shot back, as he lifted me into the passenger seat.

--_x_--

We pulled into the airport about an hour later. Emmett helped me carry my suitcases in while Jasper took care of his, and we walked into the building together.

I spotted Mr. Jones, a couple of adults I assumed to be chaperones, and some of the students of my class a little ways away so we walked over to them and signed in. Our baggage was to be checked all at once so we stood around, waiting for the rest of the class to arrive.

In that time, I pulled the brochure out of my backpack and decided to learn as much about this new country as I could.

We would be going somewhere in the southern part of Cameroon, where plateaus, valleys, and forest were abundant. The capital, Yaounde, was pretty close to where we'd be. I was surprised at the weather down there. It was four major seasons, two rainy and two dry…it was August now, so it was the short dry season. But there were still sprinkles of rain now and then since it would be entering another rainy season soon.

"_The plateau's rainforests house large number of animal species. Including birds, monkeys, snakes, elephants, chimpanzees, rodents, antelope, etc…"_

I could literally feel my jaw drop. Some of these animals I'd never seen before in my whole life…but it'd always been my fantasy to ride an elephant. As if…

"All right everyone, let's get moving!" I jumped at the sound of Mr. Jone's voice and looked around to see everyone getting up and getting ready to leave. Apart from my backpack, my other bags were no where to be seen. Had I really been so intrigued by the brochure that I'd missed the whole bag checking process?

I glanced up at Emmett and he looked down at me, sadness evident in his brown eyes. The reality of what was happening began to set it: As soon as I walked past that metal detector, there would be no turning back. One whole month without my big brother, I'd never been that long without him…

I stood on my tippy toes and slung my arms around his neck.

"I'll miss you brother bear," I said, trying to keep my tone light. But in reality, panic was setting in at the pit of my stomach. I'd never been away from home that long before.

He pushed me back a little to look down at me. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, concern covering his tone.

I could hear the impatient clucking of my classmates behind us, but I ignored them and nodded at him, quickly wiping at my eyes before any tears spilled.

"Here," he said, handing me an envelope. I scrunched my brows in confusion and took it from him. Taking a quick peek inside, I was surprised at the abundance of bills neatly stacked within.

"What-?" I began, but he cut me off.

"Use it to buy your needs and wants…souvenirs, you know?" he said, looking at anywhere but me. It was then that I realized that this was from _him_, and as much as I hated it when people gave me things, I could tell this meant a lot to him.

"Thanks Em." I said, smiling gratefully up at him.

"You're welcome." He replied, pulling me in for one breathtaking hug…literally.

"Emmett," I gasped as he lifted me off the ground. I could feel his chest shaking in laughter as he set me back unto the ground and placed a kiss upon my forehead.

"Don't forget to send me an e-mail updating everyday from your departurel." He said, smiling softly as he pushed me away.

I nodded and slowly began to back away. "Love you big bro," I said, smiling expectantly.

"Love you too squirt," he called. I grinned, not minding being called 'squirt' for once and turned around. I took off my shoes and backpack, placing them in the little basket as told, before walking underneath the metal door detector. As my things were being checked, I spread my arms out for the officer in front of me to check me once more. Once he decided I was all good, I put on my shoes and put my bag back on my shoulders, quickly taking out the brochure.

I turned back once more, looking through the glass separating the two of us and threw Emmett a sad smile. He returned it and raised his hand to wave. But I didn't see it, because he was now out of my line of vision.

I trudged behind my classmates, not really looking at where I was going, so I was startled to feel someone's hand slip inside of mine. I quickly looked up and gave a sigh of relief, realizing it was Jasper.

"I promised Emmett I'd look after you." He said, obviously noticing my confusion. Although that made me feel as though I was being treated like a child, I nodded in understanding and let him lead the way. At least I wouldn't be alone.

We soon stepped outside and I stopped for a minute to admire our plane. It was a lot bigger than the one we'd taken to and from Phoenix…probably because it was going to a whole new continent. The name DELTA was written across the side in huge letters. I'm guessing that was the company.

Jasper and I walked up the stairs behind our group and watched as Mr. Jones showed the stewardess at the top our tickets. We followed as she led us to a group of seats that were obviously meant for us. As she walked away, Mr. Jones spoke:

"This whole section," he said, gesturing to the rows of seats around him, "is ours. For safety purposes and parental concern, you will be assigned seats."

There was a collective groan as the last sentence left his mouth. And I panicked, realizing that the only real friend I had in this class was Jasper, and I may not get to sit next to him.

Mr. Jones started with the first few rows, calling out the names of those who would fill the seats. When he got to the third row, the first seat at the side was assigned to Jasper. As he walked over to sit down, I crossed my fingers in the hope that my name would be called, no such luck. The look on Jessica Stanley's face as she realized who she'd be sitting next to was a little laughable. She didn't seriously think that Jasper would be interested in her that way…did she?

That row was soon finished and he began the next one.

"Behind Jasper, Mike Newton and Bella Swan. In the middle, Angela Weber, Lauren Mallory, Tyler Crowley…"

I took my time as I walked over to my seat. Sure, I was glad to be sitting behind Jasper, but Newton… The look he was giving me as I sat down beside him almost made me gag. He and Jessica were definitely made for each other.

"Hello Bella," he said, giving me a cheeky grin. I nodded my head in acknowledgement and faced the girl sitting across the isle, beside me. I'd seen her around school, but never really talked to her.

We smiled at each other and had begun sharing our thoughts on the trip when I got the feeling that someone was staring at me. Slowly turning my head around, I was surprised to see that it was Mike, and he had that same smile plastered on his face.

"Can I help you?" I asked cautiously.

"No, I'm just happy to be sitting by you!" he said excitedly.

Raising my brows in amusement, I turned in my seat to find Jessica making googly eyes at Jasper. I could only see the profile of his face, but it was enough to see the tightness and determination in his jaw as he blatantly ignored her. I shook my head a little and pulled out my laptop so I could send Emmett a quick e-mail. After telling him about our seating arrangements and promising to write again later, I closed my eyes and settled into my seat; aware that Mike's eyes were watching my every movement. I had a feeling, this was going to be a long ride.

--_x_--

We had to switch planes about three times and it took a couple of days to get there, but I hardly noticed because I slept through almost everything. However, I was happy when we finally arrived because I don't think I could stand one more moment of Mike's head 'accidentally' falling on my lap as he 'slept'…or even his new found hobby of staring at me.

I shot up in my seat and quickly walked behind Jasper, the joy of getting off the plane adding an extra bounce in my step. It wasn't until we walked into the building that the reality of what was happening once again reached me. We were thousands of miles away from home and would be living with people we'd never seen before in our lives. But when I spoke to Mr. Jones about it, he assured me that all the families were just that…families. Their kids had an assignment and they had all been willing to participate so there wasn't any problem.

I nodded my head in understanding and continued inside. We made our way to the baggage claim area and after a little help from Jasper, I finally got mine. We waited on everyone else and made our way towards the main entrance of the building. It wasn't until we were extremely close to the doors that we saw them. A group of teenagers and adults holding up signs with names on them…pen pal names.

My eyes quickly scanned through the sheets until I saw one bearing 'KlutZillA'. I really regretted choosing that now. It'd been fine on paper, but in public…

I ran my eyes over the hand bearing the name and up to the face. As our eyes locked onto each other, I think I stopped breathing.

_Wow._

I could have sworn I was staring at a bronze haired and green eyed god. He held my gaze for a while before turning away to speak to a girl next to him. She was tiny with black hair and there was a resemblance between the two of them. Was this the twin sister he'd been talking about? They were both so…beautiful

Looking at the paper she held up, I realized she was Jasper's pal. I smiled as I realized that we'd probably be living in the same house.

I felt Jasper nudge me in the back and took it as my cue to go forward. So, I took in a deep breath and unsteadily made my way towards my new friend.

I stopped a couple of feet away and looked around awkwardly. This was the guy I'd written to and who'd replied. The one I'd been excited about seeing and now I was standing here like a fool.

_Say something!_

"Has everyone found their partners?" Mr. Jones asked from behind me. There was a chorus of 'yes' and I nodded my head.

"Okay then, let's go. Everyone have a good night and we'll see each other tomorrow morning at the school." He called, walking away with the two adults I'd seen earlier and a man I could only assume was the teacher of these students.

As people began to walk away, I finally gathered up the courage to look up and smile. "Hello." I said, smiling politely and sticking out my hand.

"Welcome." He said, smiling back. My eyes widened at the sound of his soft and musical voice. He then, saw my outstretched hand and reached for it.

As soon as he touched me, I could have sworn I felt the slightest amount of electricity radiate from our hands, causing me to freeze. Before I even had time to react, he snatched his hand from mine and turned away. A blank look covering his face.

I dropped my arm and watched as he picked up both of my suitcases.

"This way." He said, turning stiffly on his heels and walking out the door, leaving me frozen in place, staring after him. I blinked. Did I just imagine the mood swing?

"You'll have to excuse my brother." I looked down to see the girl he'd been talking to and Jasper standing beside me.

"I'm Alice," she said, quickly shaking my hand. I smiled at her, still a little dazed from what had just occurred. "Come on."

I followed her as she led us outside and stopped in front of a silver Volvo. Jasper placed his things in the backseat and we both squished ourselves beside them.

Alice sat in the passenger side and her brother started up the car, quickly pulling out of the lot.

"So…what are your names?" Alice's voice floated from the front.

"Jasper…and this is Bella" he added for me when I didn't respond. I was too busy staring at the bronze head in front of me.

"Cool! You already know me, but this is Edward," she said, gesturing to her brother.

I watched him nod his head and acknowledgement and keep driving. Confused at his stiff behavior, I turned my head to the window and frowned into the darkness. It was a long ride. And when we finally pulled up in front of a house, I was more than happy.

I stepped out after Jasper and waited for Edward to open the trunk. When he did, I reached for one of my suitcases, only to have them quickly pulled out by someone else.

"I'll take care of these," Edward said, already walking up to the house.

As I watched his retreating form, I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. What was wrong with him?

When I'd first greeted him he'd seemed kind, and even a little excited to meet me. Then he shakes my hand and suddenly grows cold. Was he bipolar?

There was a tugging feeling and I looked down to see Alice struggling to pull me towards the house. Sighing, I let her lead me in and up a flight of stairs. I was so tired, I barely noticed anything around me. But when she pushed me into a room and silently closed the door behind her, I snapped back to reality. Edward was there, silently placing my bags by a bed.

I took a look around and realized something. This couldn't be the guest room…it looked lived in. There was a black sofa at one end, the bed he was standing by in the middle, gigantic speakers in one corner, and a wall length shelf filled with CDs. I had a feeling, this was Edward's room.

I returned my eyes to him and he was looking at me in a curious way.

"What?" I asked, suddenly getting self-conscious.

He blinked, as if being pulled out of his thoughts. "Nothing. As you can probably tell, we'll be sharing a room…you may take the bed and I the sofa."

I shook my head in defiance. "No, _I'll_ take the sofa. This is your house and I'm not going to drive you off your bed."

"But-"

"No."

"I-"

"No."

He took a deep breath and I could tell he was getting frustrated. _Good._ That's how I feel.

"Where are your parents?" I asked, walking over to the sofa and sitting down.

"At work," he replied, watching as I laid my head on the black cushion.

"Cool. Well, I'm going to sleep," I said, quickly closing my eyes. I was too tired to take a shower or even bother changing my clothes.

"You really should-" he began, but I already knew what he was going to say.

"No."

--_x_--

_Preview: "If you hurt her in anyway, I won't have any control over my actions towards you."_

* * *

**So…the meeting with Edward could be a little more descriptive, but I'm sick right now and just really wanted to get this out to you guys before my over-reactive parents take me to the hospital. I mean, it's just a fever… Anyways, I may come back and fix it later.**

**Also, the next chapter will be Edward's point of view, so his behavior can be explained.**

**Please Review with what you thought of the chapter. :D**

**jojoStarr**


	5. Chapter 5 A Visitor

**Thanks for your kind reviews to the previous chapters. They made me happy. Lol. :D**

**Again, no beta-work on this chapter, so sorry for any mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Series or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

* * *

A Visitor

_Edward Cullen_

We arrived at the airport a little bit later than everyone else, because Alice had spent hours in front of her closet, trying to find an outfit that would make for a good first impression. I'd simply dressed casual, t-shirt and jeans, telling myself that there was nothing special about this ordeal. But when we walked through the front doors and saw the familiar faces of our classmates, we realized that we weren't late.

We saw the teacher, Mr. Damien, handing out pieces of paper to everyone so we walked over there. We soon realized they bore the names of our pen pals, so we could be easily identified. After receiving the papers, Alice and I turned to go stand by the doors, but the motion of someone frantically waving their arms in the air caught my eye and I slowly turned to find Ken gesturing for us to come and stand by him.

"Are you guys ready?" he asked, his eyes wide with excitement as we approached.

I shrugged my shoulders in indifference as Alice bopped her head excitedly. I was about to make a comment about their enthusiasm, but the loudspeaker announcing the arrival of a plane cut me off. It was their plane.

Quickly turning my head, I began to scan the crowd of arrivers. It was easy to spot the class, but I let my eyes land on each individual student, trying to figure out who my pal could be. My gaze soon landed on a petite brunette who was staring across the room at the paper in my hand.

_Is it You?_

I willed her to look up so I could see her face and that seemed to do the trick. Her head lifted up and a pair of chocolate eyes locked with mine, leaving me momentarily stunned.

She was beautiful. No doubt about it.

"Don't forget what you promised mom." I looked down to see Alice staring meaningfully into my eyes and tilting her head in the direction of the girl.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes in annoyance at her comment. How many times had they told me to 'behave Edward' before we'd left the house this evening? And what did they think I'd do? Turn around and run away?

"I know, I know…" I said, giving the same routine reply before returning my eyes to their previous occupation.

I watched the girl bite her bottom lip nervously as a blonde male gently shoved her forward. My eyes narrowed on their own accord. _Who was he?_

Her gaze dropped to the floor and she began to take hesitant steps towards me. I remembered something and watched her walk, noticing the uncertainty of her footing and inwardly smiled. She'd told me she was clumsy, but watching this now, I was surprised she hadn't tripped yet.

Before I knew it, she was standing in front of me, still not looking up, causing an awkward silence to settle among us. Out of the corner of my eye, I was able to see the blonde male who had recently been with her staring intently at Alice, while she did the same back. There was a peaceful feeling that seemed to radiate from both of them and I quickly turned away, feeling as if I was intruding on a private moment.

"Hello." Her voice was hesitant as she spoke and I quickly looked down to find a beautiful smile on her face as she looked up at me.

"Welcome," I said warmly and then noticing her outstretched hand, reached out to greet her. It all happened too fast, but I could see it running in slow motion in my head now. My hand reaching out, clasping hers, and quickly snatching back as I felt some sort of shock ripple up my arm. As I took in her stunned face, I realized how I'd been acting.

Ever since I'd seen her, the logical part of my brain seemed to have flown out my ears. Yes, she was beautiful and nothing close to the image I'd conjured in my mind, but what was wrong with me? I was acting friendlier to a complete stranger than I had to anyone else…it'd taken Ken at least a couple of months to get there.

The thoughts that had been running through my head last night immediately made themselves known. This was all too familiar. Something along these lines had happened to me before, the reason for my withdrawing from people. It hadn't ended very well and I was definitely not going to let it happen again. This girl looked like an understanding person…surely she would accept an apology from me when we arrived at the house.

Picking up her bags, I turned on my heel and began to walk out the door; skillfully avoiding her eyes.

"This way," I called to her, making my way towards the Volvo. I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder as I set the bags in the trunk and quickly sat down in the driver's seat. It was a few minutes before I saw their figures in the rearview mirror approaching the car, and I understood why. Alice had obviously been talking to them. About what…I was sure I didn't want to know.

As soon as everyone was settled into the car, I took off towards our house.

It was so…quiet.

There was that feeling that I was being stared at. By who? I didn't know. But Alice's pointed glances my way were beginning to frustrate me. I hadn't done it on purpose, and I would of course apologize later. She wouldn't doubt me in that way would she?

I listened as she introduced us to our company.

_Bella._

Such a beautiful name…for a beautiful girl. I snuck a glance at the rearview mirror and immediately wish I hadn't. I'd meant to catch a glimpse of her face, but the other…I think his name was Jasper, was who had caught my eye instead. And he hadn't seemed very happy.

I planted my eyes ahead and struggled to maintain my composure with the emotionless mask I was now a master of. Was he annoyed by my actions too?

I was eternally grateful when we finally made it back home, and even happier when the familiar feel of my bedroom surrounded me. I'd just set her bags down by my bed when I heard my door get closed.

I stood up and looked behind me to find Bella giving my room the once over. Scrutiny was soon replaced with realization in her eyes and she looked at me questioningly.

I must have been staring back for too long because she began to get fidgety beneath my gaze.

"What?" she asked, her tone a bit defensive.

I blinked, surprised at being carried away…again, and hurried to speak. "Nothing." I replied, while thinking of something else to say. "As you can probably tell, we'll be sharing a room…you may take the bed and I the sofa." She'd obviously figured out that this room was occupied.

I watched a look of disbelief overtake her features as she shook her head. "No, _I'll_ take the sofa. This is you're house and I'm not going to drive you off your bed." There was a final edge to her voice and that surprised me a little. Obviously she was tired from her flight and wanted nothing but rest. Any normal human being would have jumped at the chance, but she…

"But-" I began, getting ready to explain this _and _the fact that Esme would not be happy if she checked in to find our guest sleeping on the sofa, only to be cut off.

"No."

"I-"

"No."

_What in the world?_ I took a deep breath to calm myself and frowned. Why was she being so stubborn? Barely allowing me to get a word in? This was for her own good as well as mine. She'd get her goodnight's rest, especially since we'd have school the next morning, and I would avoid another lecture from Esme.

Something short of a smirk landed on her face as she studied me before making her way to the sofa.

"Where are your parents?" she asked, lying back on the sofa.

"At work." I replied, not liking the way things were going. She was already looking sleepy, so maybe I could carry her to the bed and avoid disappointment from my parents? Her next statement confirmed this.

"Cool. Well, I'm going to sleep," she said, her eyes closing. Maybe her weariness would change her mind, make things a little easier for both of us.

"You really should-"

"No."

Fine. The hard way then.

I stood there for a minute more, before walking out my room and across the hall to check on my sister. The door to her room was slightly ajar, light seeping through, and her perky voice nothing but a murmur.

I pushed it open slightly to find its occupants hunched over something, with their backs to me. Taking a step in, I cleared my throat to get their attention.

"I just came to make sure everything was fine, and to tell you goodnight," I muttered, once they'd given me their attention.

"Everything's fine. Goodnight." There was nothing friendly about the tone she'd responded to me in. I found myself wanting to stay and explain myself to her, but also wanting to wait until morning. I glanced at Jasper and the stoic look on his face made up my mind for me.

"All right, see you in the morning," I said, quickly making my way out the door. I was just about to step into my room when I heard his voice.

"Edward, a word with you please."

I sighed and turned around to find him closing the door to Alice's room before facing me. There was nothing friendly or menacing in his stance. He was just…emotionless.

"Yes?" I inquired, straightening up to match his height. Another waste of my time…he was at least three inches taller.

"Is there any reason for your behavior towards Bella at the airport earlier?" he asked, still keeping himself carefully composed. And I decided to do the same, by choosing my words carefully.

"My actions were not performed on purpose. I intend to apologize to her in the morning," I answered thoughtfully.

"I have no doubt that you will. From what Alice has told me, I'm sure you didn't behave that way deliberately."

_What?! She'd told him already? How could she? It wasn't her right to tell anyone!_

I could feel my defensive side already making its appearance as I waited for the routine reaction. But there was no pity in his eyes. Not an ounce of his demeanor changed as he continued to speak.

"But as understanding as I may be, I still have a promise to keep. You didn't stick around to see, but those little actions had an effect on Bella. She's a very loving person and will befriend anyone who gives her the chance. You are the first to blow her off in such a way. And I have to say, that if you hurt her in anyway, I won't have any control over my actions towards you."

And I was sure he meant it. The air between us seemed to increase in intensity as he stared meaningfully into my eyes.

"Bella is like a sister to me and tends to be _too_ trusting. Because her real brother isn't here to look out for her, I'll be the one to do that. I just thought I'd let you know."

I quickly nodded my head and turned around without a response into my room. My mind was still struggling to comprehend why Alice would tell such a big part of my life to a complete stranger, while still attempting to grasp his last words. At this point in time, I just wanted to be left alone.

As I closed the door behind me, the soft breathing sounds that filled the room reminded me of my visitor. She seemed to be completely asleep, so now would be a great time to exchange sleeping locations.

I made my way over to the sofa and gingerly slipped both arms beneath her. One around the back of her knees and the other on her lower back, before lifting her up and moving towards the bed. The task was very simple, and made easier with the fact that she was as light as a feather.

After pulling the covers over her, I pulled off my t-shirt and made my way back to the sofa. The exhaustion from this night's events was already creeping up on me. After turning off the lights, it wasn't long before sleep overtook me.

--_x_--

I'm not sure how long I'd been asleep, but I did know it was _late_. In fact, it was probably just a couple more hours before my alarm clock would go off. But there was a knocking on a door, and from the sounds of it, it was the front door.

This confused me. Who would be visiting us at this ungodly hour? My parents had a key, and they'd gotten home a while before; I'd heard my door open, a sign of them checking in. But this insistent pounding was extremely nerving.

I groaned and pulled myself up as I realized no one else was going to get it, before shuffling down the stairs. Reaching up, I pulled back a lock, then reaching down, I pulled back the other, before opening the door a little.

Because I was still looking down, I was met with nothing but a pair of _huge_ boots. As my eyes continued their journey up, I realized this entire being in front of me was huge.

I finally reached the face and felt some sort of familiarity. From the moonlight behind him, I noted the criticizing look on his face as he looked me up and down.

"Who are you?" I asked, finally getting fed up with the silence. But he didn't get to reply, for someone else answered for him.

"Emmett?" My eyes widened in surprise as Bella stopped beside me, still looking half asleep. When had she woken up?

"What are you doing here?"

I glanced back at the man, waiting for his response, only to be surprised by the sudden change in his facial features. There was an unmistakable grin on his face as he looked down at her and took an uninvited step into the house. I could feel my brows rise in disbelief as he picked her off the ground and held her tightly.

"How's my little sis?"

_Oh man. Was this the brother Jasper had been talking about?_

I closed the door behind him and turned on the light switch, filling the hall with light.

"Why are you here? And where's Rose? Is everything all right?" Bella's voice rose nervously with each question as he set her back on the ground.

"Everything's fine, but I did come for a reason. Rose is back at the hotel we checked into when we arrived."

"Oh," she said, still looking confused. "Well, we still have a couple hours left of sleep…you want to stay here till we wake up?" she asked, looking like she wanted anything but that.

"Since you suggested, I guess that only makes sense!"

Could he speak any louder? It was 4 in the morning for crying out loud. I was surprised the whole house hadn't woken up yet.

"Right. You have a lot of explaining to do," she muttered, swaying slightly on her feet. "Go sleep in there or something," she said, shoving him into the living room.

He shrugged his shoulders in indifference and began to make his way in, but paused and turned around. Glancing at her, and sizing me up once more, he nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"I'll see you guys in a couple hours."

As Bella and I slowly made our way back up the stairs, I was sure I wasn't imagining a pair of eyes following my every move. Slightly turning my head sideways, I was surprised to see the Emmett character at the foot of the stairs, watching us climb up.

Bella quietly made her way back to the bed without argument, probably due to sleepiness. And I sunk back onto the sofa. So much had happened in such a short time span, I was sure that if I tried to think about it, my brain would only become confused. What I did know was I owed Bella an apology and would be finding out who Emmett was tomorrow.

But we had school, and I had work afterwards…

I had a feeling, this was going to be one long month.

* * *

**Review please. :D**

**I'd meant to update this much sooner, but this weekend has been the only free time I've had so far. For anyone reading my other story, that probably won't be updated until early next week. **

**Much Love,**

**jojoStarr**


	6. Chapter 6 Author's Note!

Hey guys,

I'm so sorry I haven't been able to update in so long. A lot of things have happened to prevent me from having the free time to get on the computer. Now that school has started, I'm going to be even more busy...but I wanted to let you guys know that I haven't given up on my stories.

I checked my fanfiction mail today for the first time in a long time and was surprised to find over 2500 messages waiting for me. Lol. I haven't read them all but so far, most of them are inquiries about when my next update will be. It's going to be hard, but I want to finish the stories. However, because of how things are, I'll only be able to focus on one. So I've put up a poll on my profile and you can go vote on which story I should continue. The other will have to be finished at a later time.

Also, my next update will most likely be in a couple of weeks...after the Psat's (oct. 15). And even then, updates won't be as frequent as before because I have to study for a number of state exams I have to take in January. We moved to New York in July and apparently it's the only state that requires these exams each year. I have to make up for the ones I missed freshman and sophomore year in high school.

Finally, I want to thank those of you who are still sticking with me. I was sure I'd lost most of my readers, but a lot of you still PM me. I thought that after people read breaking dawn, not many people would read fanfiction anymore, but there's actually new people. :D By the way, how was breaking dawn? I haven't even read it yet. Lol.

Don't forget to vote.

:D JOJO


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